Programs & Events

What’s going on at the library? We have plenty of programs for children, teens, and adults!

Children | Teens | Adults

Children’s Programs

Babytime

Our next Babytime session begins May 6th and runs through June 10th on Tuesdays at 1:30pm.  Babytime is perfect for little ones aged 0-12 months and a caregiver or parent. These sessions are drop ins only and it can fill up quickly! Please bring a blanket for baby to rest on during the session as we’ll be doing lots of songs and activities on the carpet. You don’t even need a library card to attend!

Babytime is open to everyone, even if you’d only like to come to one or two sessions. The new drop in format has been working well, but make sure to get here early–we can only accommodate the first 15 babies and parents. Once the room is full, we will put a notice on our door to let parents know they should try again next week and we’ll have a fun resource pack to take home. We’d appreciate limiting attendance to two adults plus baby, please, to allow space for everyone.

While babytime is aimed at providing fun skills for babies, it’s really for parents. You’ll have fun meeting new people and we encourage lots of interaction after each session. Get to know the person next to you and go out for a coffee—it’s a fun way to get out of the house and expand what you do in this busy parenting world you live in.

Welcome back to fun, drop-in programming!

Storytime

Storytime runs from January 8 – June 25th, 2025 at 10am for ages 2-5.

Storytime is our weekly early literacy program for children aged 2-5. We sing songs, read great books and practice lots of early literacy skills in a fun manner. This is the perfect session for families with children of a variety of ages as we work hard to engage everyone through lots of activities and get kids to enjoy books. If your child hasn’t really had the opportunity to meet or socialize with other children, this is the perfect setting to get them started. We do a lot of repetition to make sure kids start to keep comfortable and learn about routines and following direction. It’s a great session to get your child ready for school!

This program is also provided in an accessible space, with access to our meeting space from our outdoor ramp. During most storytime hours, the library is still closed to regular visitors so please plan on using the side door access–posters are placed on the front door with arrows providing direction to the accessible space.

While we do periodically offer sensory-friendly storytime programming, there are also always sensory objects available for children who might need some stimulus-calming during the session. We expect these sessions to be a little noisier or busier than some programs due to the age of the children, so please prepare if you have sensory issues if necessary.

If your child is in need of accessible reading options such as Braille books, dyslexia-friendly options such as decodable books or audiobooks, we can provide you with options for reading at home. Please feel free to let is know ahead of time if your child would like some of these options, or if they have other sensory or accessibility issues that may prevent them from enjoying our space or the program. We’d be happy to try to accommodate. You can email Heidi at hsinnett@carletonplace.ca

No registration is required for this fun program.

See you at the library!

Intergenerational Storytime

Intergenerational Storytime will continue in 2025 at Waterside Retirement Village at 105 McNeely Avenue. It’s a great place to attend a smaller version of storytime in a quiet environment that really makes a difference in the lives of the residents at Waterside who take part. No registration is required–just arrive a few minutes early and be prepared to have fun.

New upcoming dates!

Thursday, June 26  10am

Thursday, July 31  10am

Thursday, August 28   10am

Thursday, September 25   10am

Waterside is an accessible space with easy-access electronic door buttons at the front door. Please feel free to bring in strollers or other child-friendly vehicles such as carts or wagons when visiting for storytime.

Many seniors don’t receive a lot of visitors and very few see children so this is a great opportunity for them to experience the joy of youth in their comfortable setting and try something new. Kids will enjoy the quiet, cozy environment of Waterside–we’ll meet in the front lobby and do all of the same fun songs, stories and early literacy activities that we do at the library, but on a different day in a different place. If you can’t make it to our storytime that week, you’ll have another opportunity to get out and enjoy an activity.

Waterside is located at 105 McNeely Avenue. There is plenty of free parking up front or at the rear of the building and we’ll end each session with a fun stamp, sticker or treat just to wrap things up. No registration is required–please invite your friends to come along! We’d love for these sessions to really grow this year.

French Language Storytime

French Language Storytime is back!

The Carleton Place Public Library is proud to partner with Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est to offer a monthly French language storytime program!

Currently, we’re fitting the sessions into our calendar please make note up the upcoming sessions for 2024 & 2025 as they don’t happen on a regular day of the month.

Saturday, November 23 at 10:30am – Cancelled due to illness

Saturday, December 14 at 10:30am

Saturday, January 18 at 10:30am

Saturday, February 22 at 10:30am

Saturday, April 5 at 10:30am

Saturday, May 10 at 10:30am

Saturday, June 7 at 10:30am

French Storytime is open to children of all ages and is primarily aimed at those who speak French, although all levels of French are welcome. This can be a great session for parents who want to expose young children to the language when they don’t speak it themselves, and it’s also great for those in French Immersion who need extra practice.

No registration is required–just come to the library on one of the Saturday mornings listed above and enjoy a fun hour of stories and songs in French.

Book Dragons Book Club

Book Dragons Book Club is for kids in Grades 6-8 and happens on the 3rd Tuesday of each month from 6-7pm at the library, from September to May.

REGISTRATION IS NOW FULL for the 2024-2025 season.

We read a new novel each month and meet in person to discuss it as a group. The aim of this book club is to teach kids to read critically, but it’s also a lot of fun. We do an activity and usually play at least one fun ice breaker game during each meeting as well.  All of our book clubs this year will be in person so please plan on having your child at the library by 6pm so we can start on time.

Please note: if the buses are cancelled, we do not run programs. Please listen to local radio stations on snowy mornings or visit https://www.steo.ca/delays/ for updates on bus cancellations.

Reading Rabbits Book Club

Reading Rabbits Book Club is for kids in Grades 2 & 3 and happens on the 2nd Tuesday of each month from 6-7pm at the library.

Reading Rabbits is now full for the fall session. If we have any more spaces open up, we’ll advertise here and on our social media platforms.  Thank you to everyone who applied this summer!

Kids read short chapter books, fun and easy graphic novels and we have great discussions about the topics covered each month. Parents are welcome to read the books with their kids.

Book clubs are great for kids who LOVE to read and who would like a little challenge–these are not suitable for kids who are looking for extra reading help or who may not be able to read a whole chapter book in a month–everyone needs to have read the book before coming to the session if possible. If you have any questions about the Reading Rabbits book club, please feel free to email Heidi at hsinnett@carletonplace.ca

Wild Readers Book Club

Wild Readers Book Club is for kids in Grades 4 & 5 and happens on the 2nd Tuesday of each month from 6-7pm at the library.

WILD READERS IS NOW FULL. If we have any spaces open up during the fall, we will add more registrations.

Kids read short chapter books, fun and easy graphic novels and we have great discussions about the topics covered each month. Parents are welcome to read the books with their kids.

Book clubs are great for kids who LOVE to read and who would like a little challenge–these are not suitable for kids who are looking for extra reading help or who may not be able to read a whole chapter book in a month–everyone needs to have read the book before coming to the session if possible. If you have any questions about the Wild Readers book club, please feel free to email Heidi at hsinnett@carletonplace.ca

Toddler Time

Toddler Time is back better than ever!

If you haven’t been to Toddler Time, then you’re in for some fun! Join us for a morning session on Tuesdays at 10:30am, open to children aged 1-3. Our next session runs from May 6 through to June 10th and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone!

This program is also provided in an accessible space, with access to our meeting space from our outdoor ramp. We expect these sessions to be a little noisier or busier than some programs due to the age of the children, so please prepare if you have sensory issues if necessary.

If your child is in need of accessible reading options such as Braille books, dyslexia-friendly options such as decodable books or audiobooks, we can provide you with options for reading at home. Please feel free to let us know ahead of time if your child would like some of these options, or if they have other sensory or accessibility issues that may prevent them from enjoying our space or the program. We’d be happy to try to accommodate. You can email Heidi at hsinnett@carletonplace.ca

No registration is required for this fun program of activities, songs, books and much more to keep your toddler moving and learning. This will run for a 6-week session then take a quick break.

Forest of Reading

How and when can you register?

Registration is now finished for 2025.

How does it work?

Once registered, kids will read 8-10 books in their grade category. At the end of March, we have a full week when they can come in anytime to vote on their favourite books! It’s a lot of fun and these books are the best books written or illustrated by a Canadian, so they’re extra special to all of us.

Is there a prize?

This year, everyone who registered for Forest of Reading were entered to win a Kids Gardening Prize provided by our very own Carleton Place RONA store! But even if they don’t win, kids will have fun trying to pick their favourite book of the season from the list of books in their category.  It’s the only Reading Program where a prize is given to a Canadian author or illustrator and voted on ONLY by children!

When do we vote?

Voting took place the last week of March.  Participants cast their vote for their favourite book in their category.  All book votes are tabulated to give us local winners and then the entire number of votes are sent to Toronto to be included in the overall vote.  Then, we drew from all of the entries for a great garden planting prize from RONA Carleton Place!  Thank you RONA for making this reading program extra special this winter!

Please email Heidi with any questions at hsinnett@carletonplace.ca

Summer Literacy Tutoring

Our Summer Literacy Tutoring program runs from July through the middle of August for kids who have been in Kindergarten to Grade 2 during the current school year. In early May, we contact all local schools and ask teachers to recommend students for the program–those kids who might benefit from a few weeks of tutoring one-on-one to help with the summer reading slump.  Our tutors prepare lessons based on the teacher reports and work with their students for a 2-week period to help strengthen skills, work on reading confidence, and encourage a love a books and reading that will hopefully carry through to the next school year.

This is a very popular program and spaces fill up quickly. Once all spaces are full, we will still offer a weekly “Reading Buddy Friday” program with the tutors that is open to everyone each week, even if they are not participating in the literacy tutoring program. Registration begins on the Monday of each week. Please call the library at 257-2702 for more information.

PLEASE NOTE:  The 2nd round of literacy tutoring registrations begins on Saturday, May 31 at 10am IN PERSON ONLY at the library.  All children in this session must be available for the weeks of August 11-21. A $15 fee is due upon registration and tutors will contact all successful applicants in mid- June.

For more information, feel free to reach out to Heidi at hsinnett@carletonplace.ca.

Lego Sumobots

PLEASE NOTE: THIS SESSION IS NOW FULL. Please check back for our Summer Robotics sessions happening in August.

We are excited to bring back one more Lego Sumobots program this spring on Saturday, June 21 from 1-3:30pm.  Registration for this fun STEM program will open up on Thursday, June 5 at 9:30am—please do not try to register before that point.

Lego Sumobots is brought to us by the wonderful people at Steampunk Education.  This is a creative STEM program geared to young people who are interested in learning about coding, robotics, design and more. No experience needed–all participants will enjoy learning about the process of creating their own robot and will compete at the end of the session to see who can build the strongest Sumobot.

Registration is a MUST—we have limited spaces for this program, so please note the date and time to register.  The link for registration will not be active until Thursday, June 5 at 9:30am.

https://forms.gle/Xu1aHiDTXwratokt5

If you have any questions about this program, please feel free to email Heidi at hsinnett@carletonplace.ca

Teen Programs

Teen Volunteers at the Library

Queer Sphere Crafting Circle

Queer Sphere in is back for another month of creativity before our summer schedule begins!  Join us on Wednesday, June 11 from 3-4:30pm when we’ll be making fun bookmarks! No need to register–this is a fun drop in program and we encourage everyone to bring a friend.

Each month, teens from 12-16 can join us on the 2nd Wednesday of the month from 3-4:30 for a fun craft and chat. The sessions are inclusive, relaxing, and you’ll meet some new people you can call friends.  Don’t like the craft we’re doing? Don’t worry—you can bring your own and work on it while you’re here.

There is no registration for this program–just bring yourself and an open mind.

Adult Programs

Adult Book Club

Meets the second Monday of the month from 6:30 pm to 8 pm, in the Barbara Walsh Room.

Book club is a perfect time to relax and discuss some great reads.  Copies of books are available as eBooks, and are also sourced through the Provincial inter-library loan network.  Book club selections are made by members. Drop in for one session, or join us every month!

While all are welcome to attend Book Club meetings, the library is currently at capacity for the number of book club copies we are able to source through the Provincial inter-library loan network. Please place a hold on one of our physical or digital copies.

September 9, 2024 – Unkindness of Ravens by M.E. Hilliard

October 21, 2024 – Fire in the Stars by Barbara Fradkin

November 18, 2024 – Cracked Pots by Heather Tucker

December 9, 2024 – Dear Life by Alice Munro

January 13, 2025 – Theme month! This month’s theme is “Learn Something New”. Read any nonfiction book about a person, place, perspective, or thing you know little about. Come prepared to talk about what you have learned. Need some ideas? Check out our list of interesting non-fiction reads here.

February 10, 2025 – Midnight Library by Matt Haig

March 10, 2025 – The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

April 14, 2025 – The Book of Rain by Thomas Wharton

May 12, 2025 – Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

June 9, 2025 – Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Cookbook Book Club

️ Cook Book Book Club: A Tasty Twist on Book Clubs!

Calling all food lovers and culinary explorers—CPPL’s Cook Book Book Club is dishing up something special, and we want YOU to join the feast!

This isn’t your typical book club. Each month, we pick a theme, try out recipes, and bring our delicious creations to share at our meeting. It’s like a potluck party for foodies! Plus, at the end of the year, we create a cookbook featuring our favorite recipes.

When? The FIRST WEDNESDAY of every month at 6:30 PM.
‍ Where? Your library, where food and fun come together!

New members are always welcome, so come hungry and ready to cook up something amazing!

No sign-up necessary!

2024/2025 Themes:

September: Food decade: the 1920s

October: Smoked!

November: Crockpot Classics

December: Do More with Less

January: No Meat Month

February: Dumplings of the World (Cancelled)

March: Foods from the Movies

April: Deceptively Delicious

May: Brunch!

June: Redemption Run

Service Canada Info Session : Learn more about the Guaranteed Income Supplement and the Canada Dental Plan

Alzheimer’s Society Caregiver Support

The Carleton Place Public Library is proud to partner with the Alzheimer’s Society of Lanark, Leeds and Grenville to offer a Caregiver Support group.  These monthly meetings for caregivers are offered to any person caring for a loved one living with dementia.  Join a representative from the Alzheimer’s Society of Lanark Leeds and Grenville for opportunities to develop a social network, coping strategies and to meet others in similar situations.

Drop-ins are welcome, but connecting with the Alzheimer’s Society beforehand is appreciated. Interested participants can contact the Alzheimer’s Society of Lanark Leeds Grenville at 1-866-576-8556 or e-mail Geralynne Smith at Gsmith@alzllg.ca.

Meetings held in the library’s Barbara Walsh Room on the second and last Monday of each month, from 1:30pm to 3:30pm.

English Conversation Circle

Are you an adult looking to enhance your English-speaking skills? Join our English Conversation Circle at the Carleton Place Public Library!  In Partnership with the Canadian Career Academy, this program provides a supportive and friendly environment where you can practice speaking English, engage in meaningful conversations, and build confidence in your language abilities.

Program Highlights:

Interactive Conversations: Participate in engaging discussions on various topics.

Supportive Environment: Practice speaking in a relaxed and encouraging setting with fellow learners.

Skill Improvement: Enhance your vocabulary, pronunciation, and overall communication skills.

Participation Requirements: Some basic English proficiency is necessary to benefit from this program. A short English assessment will be conducted to ensure that participants have the required level of understanding to fully engage in the conversations.

Details:

When: Thursdays from 6-7:30pm

Where: Carleton Place Public Library

Assessment: Conducted on-site before the first session.

We welcome learners of all levels who meet the basic English proficiency requirement. Come and join us to improve your English, make new friends, and enjoy lively discussions!

For more information and to sign up, please contact the library at 613-257-2702.